Reinforced resilient shoe heel



March 5,1946. F, CLEVE, JR- 2,395,993

REINFORCED RESILIENT- SHOE HEEL Filed May 21, 1945 Fig, i I INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 5, 1946 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REINFORCED RESILIENT SHOE HEEL 7 Frank Cleve, Jr., Kansas City, Mo. Application May 21, 1945, Serial No. 594,915

- 6 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear in general and particularly to that portion of -a shoe designated heel, and the primary aim is to provide a resilient, reinforced shoe heel having inserts of relatively rigid substance.

One of the important aims of this invention is to provide a reinforced, resilient shoe heel, the

tour and character whereof is such as to accom-v plish the broad object of the invention when the same is in the operative position.

A large number of important objects will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of a portion of a shoe, having a reinforced, resilient heel thereon, made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an inverted bottom perspective view of the insert entirely removed from association with the resilient body of the heel.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the insert.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 3; and V Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line VV of Fig. 1.

I am awar that metallic inserts have been I4 molded'in'the body l6 wherein insert [Bis embedded.

Body I6 is made of resilient or elastic substance su'chas rubber, and the insert I8 is formed of metal to present ,an appearance clearly shown inFigs, 2, 3 and 4.

Two inserts l8 should be employed in body 16 I and their location is as illustrated in Fig. l.

The insert per se is in the nature of a cupshaped body having a perforated bottom wall 20, the perforation 22 whereof receives nail l2 when the heel assembly is to be mounted. Th annular side wall of the substantially cup-shaped body of insert I 8, is divided into a number of segments 24, each having the free edge 26 thereof exposed at the outer or bottom surface of resilient body used in the construction of rubber heels and that such inserts have failed in their purpose. It is further known that metallic inserts have been formed in various ways in an elfort to overcome excessive wear of the heel body without destroying the cushioning eifect of the resilient heel.

It isapparent that the reason reinformed resilient shoe heels are not now generally accepted 16, as plainly seen in Fig. 1. These segments 24 are spaced apart and reduced in cross sectional area at their zones of juncture with bottom wall 20. This reduced portion of each segment 24 is in the nature of a neck 28, the resiliency whereof is increased over that of the remaining part of the body to allow a spring.when an impact is imparted to edges 26. Each segment 24 has a shoulder 30 on each edge thereof to underlie a substantial amount of resilient material forming body I6 when the insert [8 is embedded as shown in Fig. 5, thus, any impact imparted to edges 26 is partially dissipated by the resiliency of neck 28 and by the cushioning effect of the material from which body I 6 is made and that lies between shoulders 30 and the bottom of shoe sole l 0.

In addition to these two features of insert l8,

which contribute to the. desirability of thi form of insert, the said insert is designed to cause body IE to absorb a part of the shock by having the zone of juncture, or neck 28, arched as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The convex arched surface 32 of each neck 28 distributes the forcedue to striking edges 25' through a relatively large mass of body l6 and in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 5. Thus, the insert l8 cooperates with resilient body I6 in cushioning the steps of the wearer as it prevents undue grinding away of the material from which body I6 is made, at the points where the inserts are placed.

. The insert is positioned in body l6 when the latter is molded and serves to reinforce the heel at a point where most needed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A reinforced resilient shoe heel of the char-- acter described, comprising a body of elastic substance; and an insert embedded in the body with faces thereof exposed at the wearing surface of the body, said insert being an inverted cupshaped element having a perforated bottom for the reception of a nail and a segmental side wall, the segments of the side Wall each having lateral shoulders thereon to increase the shock dissipating surface of the insert.

2. A reinforced resilient shoe heel of the character described comprising a body of elastic substance; and an insert embedded in the body with faces thereof exposed at the Wearing. surface of} the body, said insert being in inverted cup-shaped element having a perforated bottom for the re.-.. ception of a nail and a segmental side wall, the segments of the side wall each havingv lateral shoulders thereon to increase the shock dissipating surface of the insert, said shoulders being at the zone of juncture between the segments and: the bottom of the insert.

3. A reinforced resilient shoe heel of the character described comprising a body of elastic sub: stance; and an insert embedded in the body with faces thereof exposed at the Wearing, surface of the body, said insert being an inverted 'cupshaped element having a perforated bottom for the. re. ception of a nail and a segmental side wall, the segments each having a reduced portion at their zones of juncture with thebottom to increase the. resiliency of the insert at said zones.

4. A reinforced resilient shoe v heel, ofthe cha r, as e ser b Q' m n a b Qf, a l P- stance; and an insert embedded in the body with faces thereof exposed at the Wearing surface of the body, said insert being an inverted cup-shaped element having a perforated bottom for the reception of a nail and a segmental side wall, the segments each having a convex outer surface at the zone of juncture with the bottom to spread the shock imparted to the segments.

5. A reinforced resilient shoe heel of the chara ter desc i ed o ing a bod a t stance; an an insert embedded in the body with faces thereof exposed at the wearing surface of the body, said insert being an inverted cup-shaped element having a perforated bottom for the reception of a n ail and a segmental side wall, the segments each having a reduced portion at their zones of" juncture with the bottom to increase the re siliencylof the insert at said zones, the segments each having a convex outer surface at the Zone of juncture with the bottom to spread the shock imparted to the segments.

6, As a new article of manufacture, an insert for. resilient heels comprisin a cup-shaped body i t at'ir y' ha d Su s nc h ng a erf a bottom Wall; an annular, side wall divided intoa plurality of segments each reducedin cross sectional area at thezone of juncture with the bet a wa l a e hed ai a qpres ni a we: Y s Q i r sur e- ANK QLFJZE 

